Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched 90 BRO projects in Jammu today and attend the North Tech Symposium.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) infrastructure projects include four airstrips and helipads set up along the northern and western borders, according to a defence spokesperson.

Mr. Singh would fly to Samba after arriving in Jammu in the morning to launch the state-of-the-art 422.9-metre Devak bridge on the Bishnah-Kaulpur-Phulpur Road.

According to the official, the bridge is one of 90 infrastructure projects developed by BRO at a cost of 2,941 crores, which includes 21 roads, 64 bridges, one tunnel, two airstrips, and two helipads.

The Defence Minister will thereafter attend the North Tech Symposium:

The Defence Minister will thereafter attend the North Tech Symposium, which is currently taking place at IIT Jammu's Jagti campus.

Lt. Gen. M.V. Suchindra Kumar, Vice Chief of Army Staff, opened the three-day symposium on September 11.

The defensive forces will benefit strategically from this bridge's ability to quickly introduce troops, heavy equipment, and mechanised vehicles to advanced locations, which will also help the area's socioeconomic growth.

The 500-meter-long Nechiphu Tunnel on the Balipara-Charduar-Tawang Road in Arunachal Pradesh is another significant infrastructure project that will be officially opened.

Both the armed personnel stationed in the area and visitors to the pristine Tawang would benefit from this tunnel, which will be built alongside the currently under construction Sela Tunnel, which will enable year-round connectivity to the important Tawang Region.

Bagdogra and Barrackpore Airfields in West Bengal will also be remodelled and opened on September 12. BRO successfully rebuilt these airfields for a price of Rs 529 crore.

The airfields will facilitate commercial flight operations in the area while also enhancing the defensive and offensive architecture of the Indian Airforce around the northern borders.

Other projects by BRO-

Notably, BRO used cutting-edge technology to accomplish the building of these important strategic projects in a record amount of time, with several of them being built in a single working season. 11 of these projects were built in Jammu & Kashmir, 26 in Ladakh, 36 in Arunachal Pradesh, 5 in Mizoram, 3 in Himachal Pradesh, 2 each in Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal, and 1 in each of Nagaland, Rajasthan, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

These infrastructure projects were built under harsh weather conditions and on terrain that was generally unfriendly.

This most recent initiative comes after the opening of the Siyom bridge in Arunachal Pradesh in January 2023, along with a number of other projects. The Along-Yingkiong Road's Siyom bridge is strategically important because it makes it possible to send troops, large pieces of equipment, and mechanised vehicles quickly to advance areas in the Upper Siang district, Tuting, and Yingkiong regions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Nyoma Airfield in Ladakh-

Additionally, Rajnath Singh will conduct the e-Shilanyash of Nyoma Airfield in Ladakh.

The Rs 218 crore Nyoma Airfield in Eastern Ladakh will be built for a variety of strategic air assets. The development of this airstrip will significantly improve Ladakh's air infrastructure and increase IAF capability along our northern borders.

Defence

The increase in road and bridge building by BRO over the previous three years has resulted in the completion of numerous crucial and important projects, enhancing defence readiness.

The BRO has also established connections to the nation's furthest and remotest villages, like as Huri Village in Arunachal Pradesh.

Reverse migration has been sparked along our border villages by this link. With the opening of basic amenities like schools and primary health care centres, electricity, and job possibilities, population growth is being seen in these places.

BRO has donated a record 205 infrastructure projects to the country over the previous two years, totaling Rs 5,100 crore.

At a cost of Rs 2,897 crore, 103 BRO infrastructure projects were dedicated to the country last year. 102 BRO infrastructure projects worth Rs 2,229 crore were dedicated to the country in 2021.

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